Concentrator-table fan



1,620,242 March 1927' A. H. STEBBINS CONCENTRATOR TABLE FAN Filed Jan. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ll I! t s w m 3 l ENTOR/ Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT I-I. STEBBINS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONGENTRATOR-TAIBLE FAN.

Application filed January separated are caused to travel, and air is forced upwardly thru apertures in the deck surface to promote separation of the materials.

The decks are commonly provided with an air chamber below the deck surface and a blast fan is employed to force air into this chamber under the desired pressure. In many concentrators the deck is provided with a hood that extends over the deck surface to confine the dust and air rising from the deck surface, and suction means connected to the hood is frequently provided to carry off the dust and air.

The present invention relates to simple means for supplying air to the deck and for removing air from the hood, and contemplates a concentrator table construction wherein the concentrator is provided with a combined blast and exhaust fan unit, comprising a casing having one compartment in which a blast fan rotates and a separate compartment in which a suction fan rotates.

.The blast fan compartment is connected to the air chamber below the deck and the suction fan compartment is connected to the hood. In this manner the conditions of the air attending the operation of the concentrator table is satisfactorily taken care of by a combination fan that is well adapted to be mounted upon the frame of the concentrator table.

Altho the combination blast and exhaust fan unit of the present invention may be used in connection with concentrator decks of different constructions, it is particularly well adapted for use in connection with decks having apertures formed in only a limited portion of the deck surface, so that the volume of air forced upwardly thru the deck surface is reduced, and this permits the use of suction and blast fans having a correspondingly reduced capacity, with the result that the casing containing the two fans may be sufliciently small to fit within the supporting frame of the concentrator table.

The various features of the invention and novel combination of parts will be best un derstood from the following description 20, 1926. Serial No. 82,407.

when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a concentrator table showing the fan unit of the present invention associated with a special type of deck;

Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale is a side view of part of the concentrator of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The combination blast and exhaust fan unit forming the subject matter of the pres cut invention may be used in connection with any well known or preferred type of concentrator deck that employs air in effecting the separation of the materials, but, as above stated, it is particularly well adapted for use in connection with the special type ofconcentrator deck having apertures formed thruout only a portion of the deck surface whereby a relatively small volume of air is required in operating the concen trator. The combined blast and exhaust fan unit is therefore shown in the drawings as associated with one form of deck having the apertures formed inv only a minor portion of the entire deck surface.

The concentrator table may be provided with a supporting frame of the usual or any preferred construction, and this frame is shown as having the longitudinally extending rails 10 that are secured to the uprights 11 and the opposite sides of the frame are connected by the transversely extending beams 12. The concentrator deck 13 may be mounted upon a carriage 14L as is usual, and the deck is preferably connected to the carriage by the hinges 15 in order that the "upper side of the deck may be raised or lowered to vary the transverse inclination of the deck surface. The frame of the concent-rater deck may be provided with any suitable means for supporting the carriage 1 1 for back and forth movement in the direction of its length and, in the construction shown, the carriage 14 is supported upon the concentrator frame by the rocking arms 16 which are of well known" con struction and operate to impart a slight rising and falling movement to the deck as it moves back and forth in the direction of its length.

The deck 13 is provided with the deck surface 17 having the usual riffles 18, and in the construction shown the apertures 19 .7

over the entire area of the deck surface, but are restricted to the material receiving end of the deck surface, as will be apparent from Fig. 1. Below the deck surface 17 is formed an air chamber 20 to which air is delivered by the head 21 secured to the lefthand end of the deck casing. and since the apertures within the deck surface extend only a short distance lengthwise of the deck, the air chamber 20 need not extend lengthwise of the deck beyond the point where the apertures 19 terminate.

The deck is preferably provided with a cover :plate 22 that extends over the apertured portion of the deck surface and which is supported in spaced relation to the riflies upon the deck surface. Since the cover plate 20 extends over only a portion of the deck surface, as shown, air will tend to enter the space below this cover plate by passing into this space adjacent the righthand end of the cover plate 22, viewing Fig. 1. To prevent this a flange plate 23 may be secured to the under face of the cover plate 22 to extend downwardly therefrom as close to the riiiles as may be practical to thereby restrict the passage of air into the chamber formed above the apertures 19.

It is desirable to provide means for exhausting dust and air from the chamber formed above the apertures 19 and to this end the deck 13 is preferablyprovided with a hood 2% which may be supported in spaced relation to the vibrating deck and may be connected to the cover 22 ofthe deck by the flexible connections 25 that form a closed receptacle leading from the chamber above the apertures to the hood 24.

In some cases the separating operation of the deck upon the materials may be promoted by constructing the hood 24 so that it extends over only the lower portion of the cover plate 22, that is, the portion of the cover plate located at the lower side of the transversely inclined deck, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. This construction has the advantage that it causes'the air in the chamber above the apertures 19 to flow transversely of the deck towards the-lower side thereof in order to reach the hood 24, and this lateral movement of the air helps to promote the flow of dust and lighter materials transversely of the deck.

The deck construction just described is particularly desirable in treating certain classes of materials as it serves to effect a rapid classification of the materials by causing the lighter particles to flow swiftly across the deck in a transverse direction,

while the heavier particles are directed by the inclined riiiles towards the concentrate wall26. The materials being treated may bedelivered to the deck by the hopper 27.

In effecting the-separating operation it is necessary to supply air to the chamber 20 under pressure to cause currents of air to pass upwardly thru the apertures 19 and the materials lying upon the deck surface, and it is also highly desirable to provide means for exhausting air from the hood 2st to carry off the air and dust that rises from the deck surface.

In accordance with the present invention the means provided to this end consists of a combined blast and exhaust fan unit comprising a casing 28 constructed to form two separate fan compartments 29 and 30 having the partition 28 between them. The compartment 29 :has mounted therein the blast fan 31 and the compartment 30 is provided with the suction fan 32. These two fans may be secured to and operated by the shaft 33, the ends of which may be journaled in the bearing brackets 34 supported by the side rails 10 of the-concentrator frame. The shaft 33 may be driven by the pulley The width of the entire casing 28 is prefer-- ably such that it may be mounted between the opposite side portions of the deck supporting frame, as will be apparent from Fig. 3.

Air may enter the blast fan compartment 29 thru the opening 36 that surrounds the operating shaft, and the air is conducted from the discharge side of this fan to the air chamber 20 of the deck by the conduit or blast pipe 37 the upper end portion of which is connected to the :head 21 by the flexible connection 38. The suction fan compartment 30 is provided with a suction pipe 39 leading from the hood 2 f to the entrance opening d0 which surrounds the operating shaft 33, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. The air discharged from .the suction fan compartment 30 may be carried 01% by the conduit ll which may discharge into the open air, or, if desired, may lead to a dust extractor of any suitable construction. The :exhaust fan 32 is preferably made larger than the blast fan 31 as shown, in order that the former shall have sufficient capacity to exhaust from the deck not only the air delivered thereto by the blast fan, but also such additional .air as mayfind its way into the chamber above the aperturcd portion of the deck.

From the foregoing description, when read 111 connection with the drawings, it will be seen that the combined blast and exhaust fan unit of the present invention may be readily mounted upon-the deck supporting frame or between the side portions of the frame where it will serve not only to supply air under pressure to the apertured deck, but also toexhaust air from the chamber above the apertures. If therefore forms a very simple and-satisfactory operating 'unit, and altho .the fan construction shown and described is particularlv well adapted for use in connection with a deck such as shown because of its relatively small air requirement, the fan unit of the present invention is not limited in its applicationto any particular type of deck.

What is claimed is 1. In combination with a table concentrator having a deck surface and an air chamber below the deck surface and ahood above the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit comprising a casing having two separate fan compartments, a blast fan-in one of the compartments, a blast pipe leading from the blast fan compartment to the chamber below the deck, a suction fan in the other compartment, and a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction fan compartment.

2. In combination with a concentrator having a deck surface and an air chamber below the deck surface and a hood above the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit comprising a casing having two fan compartments, a blast fan in one of said compartments, a blast pipe leading from the blast fan compartment to the chamber below the deck, a suction fan in the other compartment, a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction fan compartment, and a single driving shaft for operating both fans.

3. A concentrator table comprising in combination, a deck having only a minor portion of the entire deck surface provided with apertures and having an air chamber below the deck surface, a hood extending over the apertured portion of the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit including a casing having two fan compartments, a blast fan in one of said compartments, a blast pipe leading from the blast fan compartment to the chamberbelowthe deck, a suction fan in the suction fan compartment, and a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction fan compartment.

4. A concentrator table comprising in combination, a supporting frame, a deck mounted upon said frame and having an apertured deck surface and an air chamber below the deck surface, a hood extending over the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit secured to the supporting frame and including a casing having two fan compartments, a blast fan in one of said compartments, a suction fan in the other compartment, a blast pipe extending from the blast fan compartment to said chamber, a suction pipe extending from the hood to the suction fan compartment, and a shaft gxtending thru the casing to drive both ans.

5. A concentrator table comprising, in combination, a deck having a deck surface provided with apertures at only the material receiving end of the deck and an air chamber below the deck, a hood extending over the apertured portion of the deck and arranged to draw the air laterally across the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit including a casing having a blast fan compartment and a suction fan compartment, a fan in each of said compartments, a blast pipe leading from the blast compartment to said air chamber, and a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction compartment.

6. A concentrator table comprising in combination, a deck having a deck surface and an air chamber below the deck surface and a hood over the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit comprising a casing having a partition therein to divide the easing into two compartments, a blast fan in one compartment, a suction fan inthe other compartment, a blast pipe leading from the blast fan compartment'to the chamber below the deck, and a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction fan compartment.

7. A concentrator table comprising, in combination, a deck supporting frame having side walls secured in spaced relation to each other, a deck mounted upon said frame and having a deck surface and an air chamber below the deck surface and a'hood above the deck surface, a combined blast and exhaust fan unit comprising a casing adapted to be secured to said frame in the space be tween said side walls and having two separate fan compartments, a blast fan in one of the compartments, a blast pipe leading from the blast fan compartment to the chamber below the deck, a suction fan in the other compartment, and a suction pipe leading from the hood to the suction fan compartment.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

